Electrical relay



0. 0. HARRINGTON.

ELECTRICAL RELAY.

APPLlCATiON FILED LAN-31,1920- I Patented Dec. 20, 1921.

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H18 A 110mm invention this resistance element UNITED s ArEs PATENT cancer cnmron o. HARRINGTON, or

EDGEWOOD BOROUGH,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A COR- .PORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRICAL RELAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 20, 1921.

Application filed January 31, 1920. Serial-No. 355,499.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLINTON O. HARRING- TON, a citizen of the United States, residin at Edgewood borough, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have in vented certain new and-useful Improvements in Electrical Relays, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrical relays, and particularly to relays of the type wherein means are provided for increasing the resistancev of the circuit of the energizing winding when the relay armature is closed, and decreasing the resistance of this circuit when the armature is open. This variation in resistance can usually be most conveniently effected by opening and closing a shunt around a-resistance element which is included in the circuit of the energizing winding, and in the illustrated form ofmy is part of f the energizing winding itself, although this particular construction is not essential to my invention. In the illustrated form of my invention, the relay is provided with a low resistance pick-up winding, and. a high resistance holding winding, and the shunt is placed around the latter'winding and is controlled by the relay armature.

One object of my invention is the provision of means for closing this shunt, during the opening movement of thearmature,

. when the armature reaches such position that it cannot be closed by current of re. lease value in the pick-up winding, and for keepingthe shunt closed until the armature reaches a point near the end of its stroke while closing. That is, the shunt is closed when the armature is at one point during the opening movement, and is opened when the armature is at another point during the closing movement, the latter point being nearer'to the fully closed positionthan the former.

I will describe one form of relay embodying my invention, and'will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

Inthe accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a view showing in'side elevation one form of relay R embodying my invention, the windings of the relay being connected with a track circuit which is illustrated diagrammatically. Fig. 2 is a View showing an auxiliary magnet and armature included in the relay shown in Fig. 1, and looking at the Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmental view of a'.con-

g tact C included in the relay R, showing the condition of this contact when the armature is in a certain position while opening. Fig. 41s a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the condition of the contact C when the armature'is in the fully opened position. Fig- 5 is a view similarto Fig. 3 but showing the condition of the contact G. when the armature is in a certain positionwhile closing.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the'several views.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the relay, which is designated as a whole by the reference character R, comprises, a plate 1 of insulating material which carries an electromagnet E. This electromagnet comprises a core 3 of magnetizable material which passes through the plate 1 and terminates in a pole-piece 3 'onthe under side of the plate. Only one core and pole-piece are shown in the drawing, but in accordance'with usual practice the relay is provided with two such members, one of which is directly behind the other 'in the drawing, the upper ends of the two cores being connected by a backstrap 4. The magnet core 3 is provided with two windings 5 and 6 which are-held in place by disks 14; of non-magnetizable material l0- cated at the ends of the core. Winding 5, which I will call the pick-up winding, is of comparatively low resistance, while Wind'- ing 6, which I will call the holding winding, is of comparatively high resistance. It is understood that the other core, which is not. shown, carries two'similar windings, and that the two pick-up windings'are connected in seriesas are also the two holding windings. To simplify the disclosure, however, I will hereinafter neglect the core and windings which are not actuaily shown in the drawing.

Magnet E controls an armature 7 which is pivotally mounted in brackets 8 attached to thepolepieces 3 The usual core pins 9 are provided to keep the armature a certain distance away. from the polepieces when in the fully closed position.

The armature7 is provided with insulation studs 13 which carry a contact operating bar 10. This bar controls a front contact comprising a flexible finger 11 attached to the bar, and a fixed member 12 mounted in the plate 1, it being understood that this contact is closed when the armature is closed, and open when the armature is open, in accordance with usual and well known practice. I

The holding winding 6 is provided with a low resistance shunt which includes a contact C also controlled by the bar 10. This shunt is from the upper end of winding 6 -thro1igh'wires 22 and 24, terminal post 25,

flexible connector 26, bar 10, contact C, and wire 27 to the lower end of winding 6. Contact C comprises a flexible spring 15 attached to the bar 10 and having a contact tip 15 adapted to engage with an anvil 16 on a bracket 16, this bracket being suspended from the top plate The contact C is arranged to close whe'n the armature reaches a predetermined intermediate position in its I opening movement, and (it then remains closed during the remainder of this move-- ment and at least until the armature returns to the same intermediate position while closing. The relative positions of the parts of contact C and the associated elements of the relay when this contact closes are as shown in Fig. 3. The point at which contact C closes is so chosen that when the armature reaches this point it cannot be returned to bing or chattering the closed position by current of release value in the pick-up winding 5. This point is usually close to the lowest or fully open position of the armature.

If contact C were allowed to open when the armature 7 reaches the intermediate position referred to aboveduring thereturn or closing movement, the armature would be apt to drop part way lback and socut" its fully closed or highest. position. This means, as here shown, comprises an aux-il- 50 iary armature 17 attached to the outer or free end of contact spring 15, and coacting with a, permanent magnet P which I will term the auxiliary magnet. When the main armature 7 is in the lowest or fully open position, auxiliary armature 17 rests on the polepieces of magnet P, the parts then being in the relative positions in which they are shown .in Fig. 4.: Then as the main armature 7 'moves upwardly toward its closed position, the flexible contact spring 15 is held clos'ed against contact anvil 16 due to the magnetic attraction of auxiliary armature 17 by magn ture 7 reaches the oint at which it is desired that contact should open, an extenfully closed et P. When the armae sion 10 on the operating bar 10 engages with auxiliary armature 17 and raises this armature away from magnet P, so that contact C then opens with a snap action. The relative positions of the parts just before contact C opens are as shown in Fig. 5. The point at which contact C opens is so chosen that with current of pick-up value supplied to magnet windings 5 and 6 the main armas ture 7 will not drop back but will continue to its fully closed position.

As here shown, the windings of relay R are included in a track circuit which comprises an insulated section of railway track AB. When the shunt around the holding winding 6 is open,v this track circuit is from battery 20 through upper track rail 19.

wire 21, pick-up winding 5, holding winding 6, wires 22 and 23, and lower track rail 19 to battery 20. When contact C is closed, the circuit is the same except that the low resistance shunt around the holding winding 6 is closed.

The operation of the entire apparatus is as follows: When the track section A-B is unoccupied, current of maximum value is supplied to windings 5 and 6 in series, and armature 7 is then closed as shown in Fig. l. When a train,- represented by a pair of wheels and axle T, enters the track section AB, the current supplied to winding 5 is reduced to at least the release value, whereupon armature 7 opens, thereby closing contact C and so shunting outthe high resistance holding winding 6. When the train T' passes'out of section AB, the cur rent supplied to the pick-up windin 5 rises toat least the. pickup value, so hat armature 7 then moves toward the closed position. Just before reaching this position contact C opens, thereby opening the shunt around the holdingwinding '6, but the'current which flows in the two windings 5 and 6 in series is of suflicient value to con: tinue the movement of armature 7 to, its

position.

Although I have shown a magnetic device for holding contact C closed, it is understood that any other suitable device might be provided for this purpose without dc: parting from the scope of certain of the appended claims;

position and to hold it in such I Although I have herein shown and dey scribed only one form of relay and circuits therefor embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifica-. tions may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: i

1. In combination, a relay having an energizing winding, a circuit for said winding including a resistance, a shunt around said ing including a resistance, a shunt around resistance, and means for closing said shunt when the armature of the relay reaches almost the fully opened position, but for preventing said shunt from opening until the armature reaches almost its fully closed position. i

2. In combination, a relay having an energizing winding, a circuit for said winding including a reslstance, a shunt around said resistance including a contact which closes when the armature of the relay reaches almost the end of its stroke while opening, and means for keeping said contact closed until the armature reaches almost the end of its stroke while closing.

3. In combination, a relay having an energizing winding, a circuit for said winding including a resistance, a shunt around said resistance, and means for closing said shunt when the armature of the relay reaches almost the end of its stroke while opening, and for opening said, shunt when the armaturereaches almost the end of its stroke while closing.

4. In combination, a relay having an energizing winding, a circuit for said windsald resistance, means operating while the armature of the relay is opening to close said shunt when the armature reaches such position that it cannot be closed by current of release value in the energizing winding, and means for keeping said shunt open until the armature has passed said position while closing.

5. In combination, a relay having an energizing winding, a circuit for said windng including a resistance, a shunt around said resistance including a contact which closes while the armature of the relay is openingwhen the armature reaches such position that it cannot be closed by current of release value in the energizing winding,

and means for keeping said contact closed until the armature has passed said position while closing.

6. In combination, a relay having an energizing winding, a circuit for said winding including a resistance, a shunt around sald resistance, and means for closing said shunt at one position of the rela armature while the latter is-opening, and or opening said shunt when the armature has passed said position while closi 3 7. In combination, a relay having an en- ..ergizing winding, a circuit for said winding including a resistance, a shunt around said resistance including a contact which closes when the relay armature is in an intermediate position while opening, and means for holding said contact closed until the armature has passed said intermediate 1 position while clos1ng.-

8. In combination, a relay having an energizing winding and a main armature, a

contact comprising a .fixed member and a flexible spring carried by said armature and iliary magnet cooperating with sald auxil iary armature to hold said contact closed until the main armature has passed said intermediate position while closing, a circuit for said energizing winding, and means controlled by said contact for increasing the resistance of said circuit when the contact is open and decreasing the resistance of said circuit when the contact is closed.

9: in combination, a relay having an en ergizing winding, and a main armature, a contact comprising a fixed member and a flexible spring carried by said armature and arranged to engage with said fixed member when the armature reaches an intermediate position while opening, an auxiliary armature carried by said contact spring, an auxiliary magnet cooperating with said auxiliary armature to hold said contact closed, a member attached to said main armature for releasing said contact spring when the main armature has passed beyond said intermediate position while closing, a circuit for said energizing winding, and means controlled by said contact for increasing the resistance of said circuit when the contact is open and decreasing the resistance of said circuit when the contact is closed.

10. In combination, a relay having an energizin'g winding and a main armature, a contact comprislng a fixed member and a flexible spring carried by said armature and arranged to engage with said fixed member when the armature reaches an intermediate position while opening, means for holding said spring in engagement with said fixed contact member until said armature has passed said intermediate position while closing, a circuit for said energizing winding,

and means controlled by said contact for iniing winding, a shunt for said holding winding including a contact which closes when the armature is near the end of its stroke while opening, and means for keeping said contact closed until the armature is near the end of its stroke while closing.

12. A relay having a pick-up and a holding winding, a shunt for said holding winding, and means for closing said shunt when the armature is near the end of its stroke while 0 ening, and for opening said shunt when t e armature is near the end of its stroke while closing.

13. A relay having a pick-up and a holding Winding, a shunt around said holding winding, and means for closing said shunt at one position of the armature while the latter is opening, and for opening said shunt 5 when the armature has passed said position I while closing.

14. In combination, a relay having an energizing Winding, a circuit for said winding, and means controlled by the armature 10 of said relay for decreasing the resistance 

